KOTA KINABALU: Government-linked and public-listed companies are among more than 10 concessionaires investigated for breaching Forestry laws in Sabah.
Chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (pic) said these companies were identified recently after he banned the export of timber in Sabah.
“Following this decision, we have activated a special task force to investigate illegal logging activities, and have since then seized over 40,000 logs from various locations,” he said during a press conference here Wednesday (July 18).
He said these logs, worth millions in taxes alone, were seized from forests and forest reserves in Tongod, Sandakan, Ranau, and Kalabakan in operations against illegal logging between July 5 and 14.
Shafie said they suspect that these companies have been conducting illegal logging and breaching laws, including logging protected trees, processing oversized trunks and evading logging tax for quite some time.
Asked whether he thinks politicians were involved in these companies, he said he "does not want to speculate", and to wait for the outcome of their probe into the cases.
He said police reports have been lodged, and it was only a matter of time they get answers.
“Action will be taken accordingly. We hope to solve illegal logging activities and forestry law breaching in Sabah,” he added.
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